Returning to His World
by OrdinaryStory
Summary: After a heated argument, Sarah unthinkingly wishes away her boyfriend's little sister. She didn't expect it to work this time, but Sarah is once again thrown into the Labyrinth in search of a child, attempting to fix the mistakes she has made.
1. Pretending to Love

_Disclaimer: You know I don't own Labyrinth or any of it's characters. The other ones I made up, but I don't guess I legally own them, either._

Chapter One: Pretending to Love

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Sarah asked with a laugh, glancing up from her book to see Carson watching her with a glint in his honey brown eyes. Sitting sideways on the couch, she could see his head turn when he glanced at her. She ran one hand through her hair, letting it fall behind the arm of the sofa.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Carson countered, and she laughed again. He smiled at the look on her face as she returned to her book and wondered why she didn't close it and watch the television instead—it sat right in front of the couch they were on, showing, he was sure—on some channel or another—the exact same thing she was reading. He watched her a moment longer, the same shine in his eyes. However, he knew now that he wouldn't get anything for it. It was so rare that he did, anyway.

Babysitting with her was one of the dullest activities he regularly participated in. His parents liked her, or else he wouldn't be allowed to invite her over when they went out. They were right to allow it—when his sister was awake, Sarah read to her. When she was asleep, Sarah read to herself. When it stormed, Sarah sat in the little girl's room and read. She jumped and sometimes screamed anytime Carson came in or made a slight noise somewhere else in the house. Something about thunderstorms really got to her, and even worse when they caused the power to go out.

"So… what's the book about?" He asked awkwardly. Sarah slowly snapped back to reality, with a slightly annoyed look, and sat down the thin paperback.

"Fairies," she responded softly, and, when he didn't say anything more, picked it up again. Carson was frustrated, and only getting more so. He remembered the times he snuck Jenna over while his parents were out—reading had been the last thing on her mind. Sarah didn't know about that. Maybe keeping it from her had been a mistake—she might not know what he expected of her. She had never even allowed him to get close to the things he and Jenna had done, usually with the rough fibers of the couch beneath them, sometimes the softer fabrics of his or his parents' bed.

Those thoughts were only making it worse.

"Sarah," he began softly, pulling the book from her hands and dropping it to the ivory-colored carpet. Instead of looking up at him, as he expected, her dark eyes followed it to the floor. "Sarah," he said again, with a false tenderness. Her face turned towards his and he leaned down. Her hands on his chest stopped him just inches away from her lips.

"Carson, not now," she said.

"Why not, baby?" He asked. Terms of endearment usually did the trick when he got stuck with a girl.

"I was reading. And Lydia's just down the hall—what if she wakes up?"

"She won't wake up. It's past eleven," he whispered, trying to move forward again. Her hands still caught him. He could push them out of the way and kiss her anyway, but that would just make her angry. He didn't want her angry—he wanted her willing, eager, naked….

He paused, still leaning over her, not sure what to do. Sarah had originally just been a random fling for him, another girl to fuck and forget. She was pretty, but he wouldn't call her beautiful. Her body was nice, but he wouldn't call it hot. They'd been together for four months, and still she hadn't let him get past the first button on her blouse. He kept assuming it would happen soon; she'd just come over, take off her clothes and spread her legs.

It wasn't happening.

"Please, Sarah, you're driving me crazy," he whispered, filling his voice with lust. She looked a little shocked, as if she was just realizing what he wanted.

"No," she said. The firmness in her voice was like a spark on the gasoline.

"Why the fucking hell not?" Carson raged, jumping off the couch—mostly to gain intimidation from towering over her. Sarah visibly faltered. She hadn't expected something like that. She had told him no before, and he should know that she still wasn't ready.

"Because I don't _want_ to!" She yelled up at him, using her first opportunity to reach for her book on the floor. She regretted having to leave it there for so long. She felt like she had betrayed it just by letting him take it from her.

"Well I do, damn it!" Carson watched her with a look that suddenly made her absolutely terrified. _He's going to rape me_—the thought echoed through her panicked mind.

"You wouldn't…" she began, then stopped. Putting a brave face on would neither fool him nor stop him. Ignorant as he seemed to be, she knew he knew her better than _that_.

"I might. I get what I want Sarah, and I've wasted too much goddamn time on you," he spat at her as she pulled her knees against her chest and clutched her fairy tale to her calves. Thoughts began rushing through her, plans to stop him, get away from him, kill him if she had to. None of them seemed good enough as he tore the book from her hands and heaved it across the room. It struck the wall, causing no more than a soft _thump_.

"No, no, no, no," Sarah pleaded as he grabbed her arms, still locked tightly around her legs, and pulled her onto the floor. She hit it with a sound similar to that of the book on the wall, she thought, or maybe everything was just running together in her head. She fought to stay curled in her fetal position.

"Yes," Carson's voice dripped satisfaction as he pulled her thin arms off her legs and thrust them behind her back as he worked on getting her knees away from her chest.

"Don't, please don't. You can't!" Sarah muttered, her eyes shut tightly.

"And why not," Carson held her down with the weight of his body as he pushed his mouth against hers. She looked, he thought, more attractive than she ever had before, with her dark, silky hair spread out around her and her mouth slightly open in fear.

"He won't let you!" Sarah suddenly screamed into his mouth, her eyes flying open. "I wish the Goblins would come take Lydia away! Right _now_!"

Surprised by the sudden outburst, Carson froze. He paused for a moment longer, trying to figure out what she was talking about. Goblins? And how did his little sister get into this? _Maybe I've pushed her over the edge_, he thought, with no trace of guilt.

Sarah, however, felt guilty. She had just wished his little sister away. She liked Lydia—the adorable little girl was always eager for Sarah to read to her. It was the only thing she could think of to make Carson stop—surely he wouldn't rape her as the Goblin King watched idly from a few feet away. Maybe Jareth wouldn't let him, even if he tried. He didn't like Sarah at all, but she would have to run his labyrinth again, wouldn't she? If he was real, that is… She wished she could've wished Carson away instead, but he was no child, and the Goblin King only took children.

"I'm an awful person," Sarah whispered to herself, confident that Carson wasn't listening to her.

Finally deciding to ignore it like her other protests, Carson reached under his body for the button on her jeans. He jumped as much as she did when the house shook with a deep rumble of thunder, and the heavy sound of raindrops smacking the windows came seconds later. But an unexpected thunderstorm wouldn't stop him—he undid the button and the zipper, and began wiggling her jeans past her hips. She had given up her protests, now. She lay silently on the floor, pressing the palms of her hands into her eyes.

"Here we go," Carson leaned down and whispered into her ear, as he tossed her jeans to the side and ripped her shirt open. The buttons flew across the room—he shouldn't have done that. He would have to find them all before his parents got home.

Carson paused just above her breasts, covered only by the thin cups of her bra, as scurrying sounds and giggles filled the room. Sarah let out an ear-splitting, triumphant scream. Loud noises like that seemed odd coming from such a shy, quiet girl like her, but Sarah could hardly believe it. In the moments since she had said the words, she had become increasingly sure that it wouldn't happen and what had happened the last time she said them had been only a dream.

"What was that?" He choked out as the lights went off. He felt his erection disappear—he was too afraid for that. He moved into a sitting position, leaving Sarah lying on the floor.

"The Goblins," Sarah whispered back, sounding hopeful. He hadn't expected a reply.

"Shut up," he muttered back to her, trying to determine where the scratching noises were coming from as the front door burst open and the shrieks of an owl filled the cold air.

Then the Goblin King was there, standing only a few feet above Sarah, looking down at Carson with contempt evident in his mismatched eyes.

Sarah's hands moved away from her eyes and she stared at the figure standing behind her. Even upside down, he was intimidating, formidible. And now she would be returning to the Underground--returning to his world.


	2. That's Not Fair

__

Author's Notes: Not quite as good as Chapter One was, but we needed to establish some things and get a bit of background. Also, Jareth is probably extremely out of character. Sarah too, but in my opinion, she's changed a lot. It would be easier if I could watch the movie, but I only have it on VHS and my VCR recently decided it's done enough for me. On the bright side, it's been offered to me on DVD, so it should get better sometime in the future.

Chapter Two: That's Not Fair

Carson opened his mouth to speak—ask this man who he is, tell him to get the fuck out, something. No words came out.

"Sarah, what have you gotten yourself into?" The man said, turning his attention to the awestruck figure on the floor. She didn't respond. Instead, she sat up, found her jeans crumpled in front of the television, and hurried to pull them back on.

"Who _are_ you?" Carson finally got out. He ran a hand through his rumpled, short brown hair, not taking his eyes off the man before him.

"Who are _you_, to think you have the right to do this to her?" Sarah let out a small shriek when she heard the man's angry words. Carson didn't know if it was of surprise, anger, or joy. He didn't particularly care. He was done with Sarah—he should have been a long time ago.

Sarah pushed herself into hiding—between the television and the bookcase to the side. She wasn't sure what to expect of Jareth this time. He seemed protective of her, but she couldn't comprehend why. She hadn't taken the offers he had made before seriously. They were just meant to be distractions. He wanted Toby, wanted to turn him into a Goblin. He wanted nothing to do with Sarah, other than to make her fail and lose her little half-brother.

"…my sister! You can't just take her!" Carson was yelling when Sarah returned her attention to the exchange before her. She felt like an abused child with her clothes half-ripped off, her hair covering her face, trying to stay away from the anger.

"She was wished away. It isn't my decision." Jareth explained, his voice even. A crystal ball had appeared in his hand sometime since Sarah had last looked at him, and he twirled it expertly. She focused her eyes on it, refusing to look at Jareth himself.

"That's not fair!" Carson had stood, and now faced the King threateningly. Jareth laughed.

"You've been spending too much time with Sarah. Who, by the way, should be leaving now."

Sarah looked back at Carson, waiting for him to take his turn in the argument, but he was gone. So were the TV and bookshelf pressed against her sides. The only thing that remained from the darkened living room was Jareth.

Sarah looked around, finding herself in a familiar place—the dry hilltop overlooking the Labyrinth, empty save for one tree and a clock.

"You know, Sarah, you could do much better." Jareth said, his eyes gentle as he watched her rush to pull the sides of her shirt together. With no buttons to hold it in place, she tucked it into the front of her jeans.

"You mean you?" She asked angrily. _I shouldn't do that, he _did_ save me_.

"Yes," the king replied. She still wouldn't let herself look at him.

"Thirteen hours?" Sarah asked softly, feeling lost. She had done it once, so confidence would confirm that she could do it again. But over the years, Sarah had become more and more certain of several things, including that it had probably been a dream, and, dream or not, she had only made it though because of luck and the help her friends had given her. _Ludo, Hoggle, Sir Didymus; are they still here?_

"I've always thought it to be a _fair_ amount of time," he replied. "Good luck, Sarah. I'll be seeing you soon," the King began to shimmer and disappear into the orange sky behind him. The amazing color of the sky was something she had reflected on many times since last seeing it.

"Well, come on feet," Sarah said to herself with a laugh, only out of tradition. If having done it once would dictate tradition, that is.

_Hoggle_, she thought as she neared the outer wall and saw the tiny fairies flitting about. This time, though, she knew not to touch them. Sarah wished for her friends and their help, but there was no sign of the little dwarf. She wondered if Jareth banished them all for helping her, or, even worse, threw them into the Bog of Eternal Stench. _I wouldn't put it past him._

Sarah found the door on her own this time. For a few moments while her eyes scanned the bare walls for it, she was afraid it only appeared when someone pointed it out.

Then she saw it.

It was left slightly open, as if expecting her. Filled with the certainty that it would disappear if she looked away, Sarah ran.

* * *

"Hoggle?" Sarah chanced calling out. She remembered the advice of the worm set met before—_"There's one right in front of ya_." She had made it through the beginning quickly, but she was now appropriately lost.

_Why don't you just give up_, a voice in her head spoke softly. She was sure it was her own selfish thought, but her mind gave it the voice of the Goblin King. She knew it would be much easier for her to give up and go home this time. Lydia wasn't hers and she had no responsibility to her. In fact, it was unlikely she would ever see the girl after they got out of the Labyrinth. Sarah didn't plan on seeing Carson again, at least. But she had made a mistake when she wished her away.

Despite the heat, Sarah shivered. She wished she had fought him at least, tried to save herself without hurting Lydia. Why didn't she? Why did she just freeze and beg and call for Jareth, like he was supposed to come valiantly to her rescue? _Pathetic_, she thought.

* * *

Jareth watched the emotions flicker across Sarah's face. His crystal ball slightly contorted her features, fitted them to its shape. The Goblin King wasn't sure yet if he liked that.

He tried to ignore the drunken, fighting Goblins who used his throne room as a bar and focus only on Sarah. He wondered what the past three years had been like for her. At first, he watched. He'd see her through the crystal balls, and sometimes he'd leave the Underground in owl form, just to be near her. Soon, he knew he had to stop. The visits become more and more frequent, and he would go hours without looking away from the crystal sphere in his motionless hand. Obsession would do neither of them any good. So he stopped, denying himself the privilege. It had been hard, and had just led him to thinking, reflecting. How was Sarah so different from the others? Why did she make it to his castle and win back the baby? Why was it that he wanted her to both succeed and fail, all at once? He didn't want to hurt her by keeping her half-brother and turning him into a Goblin, and he wanted to watch the look of triumph and happiness on her face. But success would mean she would leave. Oh, she'd leave if she failed, too. But he could have come up with an excuse to keep her around longer. _I'll give you another chance, Sarah. _Or, _Remember those hours I took away from you, Sarah?_ Y_ou can take his place, Sarah. I'll do anything for you, Sarah. _But hadn't he already offered that?

_Love me, fear me, do as I say…._

He had to quit thinking about her. An impossible task. But he somehow managed—not to forget her altogether, but to push her to the back of his mind and continue with what had to be done. She never really stayed tucked away behind thoughts of wished-away babies, breakfast pastries and run-away Goblins. Sometimes she'd flash into his thoughts at random moments, but she came out every night, when he was fully alone and could let himself hurt. He wouldn't want anyone else to know about it, but he wasn't ashamed of himself for crying over her. She was worth crying over.

He made himself watch the other girls who came to his Labyrinth. Anna, Kayley, Lauren, Rachel, Shari—they weren't Sarah. They just weren't, and that was all he wanted—_needed_.

Sarah looked around, her mouth slightly open as she considered which way to go next. She looked almost exactly as she had three years before, the first time she ran the Labyrinth. Jareth mused over the changes in her—she'd grown taller, her hips got fuller, her waist became narrower. She stood more gracefully than before, her lips were softer, redder, but her smile wasn't as wide. She had come to realize life wasn't always fair—she had done that while making her way through the Labyrinth the first time. And despite all the changes in her, she appeared to be just as stubborn and determined as before.

* * *

"I can do it again," Sarah whispered to herself. In the past hour, she had done so many times. It was becoming her motto, a small piece of hope. She could now go two ways: straight ahead, down a narrow, stone-sided passage through which she saw the top of the castle, taunting her with its distance, or she could go right, into the beginning of a dark, somewhat familiar-looking forest. _Which way do I go_, she thought to herself, becoming more and more discouraged.


	3. An Old Friend

_Author's Note(s): Thank you all very much for your reviews. :) Please continue to let me know what you think._

Chapter Three: An Old Friend

"I've never been here before," Sarah whispered as she made her way through the forest. At first, she was sure she had. She expected the Fireys to show up any minute, but then things started changing.

Many off the tree trunks were adorned with mirrors—all shapes, sizes and designs. Some of them were full-length and some of them were pocket-sized. _This is odd_, Sarah thought as she watched herself walk by in a gold-framed, oval mirror sitting low on a small tree. Then things got even odder.

The mirrors stopped reflecting what was in front of them. They were now all showing different things, looking like glossy moving pictures.

One mirror showed an apple sitting on a small table. A pig continually circled the table, his snout to the ground. Another mirror showed a Goblin walking back and forth down a short hallway, wearing only a pair of pink, strappy heels and a matching hair-bow. The mirror hanging above it showed Sarah's step-mother, Karen, standing in the middle of a small pond, clad in an elaborate wedding dress while a parrot hopped up and down on her shoulder. On the next tree was a falling raindrop that never hit the ground and, below it, Sarah herself, three years ago, in the park reciting lines from her beloved book. Surprised, she turned around, and came face-to-face with Jareth.

It took her a moment to realize it was just another mirror. It was the same height as he, and showed his entire body as he looked out with an expression of curiosity. He didn't move as much as the other pictures; he just breathed and blinked.

Sarah moved on to the next tree. She watched three birds flying repeatedly over a lake and the empty pages of a book turning of their own power.

"Sarah," Jareth's voice said softly from behind her. She whirled around, but the only sign of him was the mirror that contained his image. It didn't take her long to realize the real Goblin King was speaking through it.

"What?" She demanded, somewhat harshly. She wouldn't let him take advantage of her with is magic which was, she assumed, exactly what he was about to attempt.

"This child is not yours to save." The Goblin King's reflection commented, only his lips moving. Sarah was surprised. No trickery, just reasoning? How unlike him.

"I'm the one that wished her away. She is mine to save."

"Sarah. Did you have a choice?" Jareth said in what Sarah's mind could only describe as a 'purr.'

"I could've ran or fought. I didn't need you to save me."

"Save you? I wasn't speaking of _saving_ you." Sarah felt her face redden at the king's words. "I merely meant entering the Labyrinth to reclaim her. I have yet to offer you a way out."

"Is that what you're doing now?" Sarah asked, feeling exposed. Mostly it was because she realized he hadn't thought of her actions as asking to be rescued, but her shirt didn't help the matter. It showed a thin strip of pale skin all the way down to the waistband of her jeans, and no matter how tightly she pulled it around herself, it always slipped back.

"Perhaps, but if I _saved_ you, you owe me a debt."

"You didn't save me. I said I didn't need you to." Sarah knew she should have realized he would manipulate her with the little slip of her tongue.

"I was going to offer to let you leave my Labyrinth. But maybe I'd prefer you stayed for a while. Your debt will be repaid after the thirteen hours is up. You will spend an additional three hours with me, in my castle." His laugh trailed off, and when it was gone, she knew he was too. The figure in the mirror didn't speak again.

She wished the thirteen hours wouldn't end. She wished they would go faster.

* * *

"Arrgghh," the small noise of frustration would normally have frightened Sarah in such a place. Her heart began pounding, but for a different reason.

"Hoggle!" She called, certain that her friend was near. It had sounded exactly like him, probably cleaning something or trimming the shrubbery.

The noise came from beside her, on the other side of the hedge wall. There was no opening nearby—she ran, looking for one.

"Sarah?" Hoggle's tentative question rang out. There was a _clang_ as he dropped something metal onto the stones.

"Yes! Yes, Hoggle, it's me! I need your help! Where are you, Hoggle?" Sarah yelled. She ran back the way she had come, certain there had been an opening to the other side.

There had been. There wasn't now.

"Sarah, what are you doing here?" Sarah hurried back to where she had originally heard him. She jumped, trying to see over the wall.

"Hoggle," she called as she saw the top of his head. "I wished away my boyfriend's little sister by accident and now I'm here to get her back from Jareth and I really need your help that's the only way I did it before and I can't just leave her it wasn't her fault I need your help is Ludo here?" It all spilled out in a rush. Hoggle listened from the other side of the wall, hardly able to believe Sarah was back.

"Ludo's here, and so is Sir Didymus. Haven't seen 'em for a while, but they're around." Hoggle told his friend, knowing already that he could not help her this time. There had been openings through the hedges—he had gone through them himself. Jareth was keeping him away from her this time, which was not something that surprised Hoggle.

"Oh, Hoggle! I'm so glad to see you." _Even though I only see the top of his head and a bit of his ears_. She hadn't seen him—and Ludo and Sir Didymus—since the night she solved the Labyrinth and won Toby back. They had been in her room, and had stayed until Sarah collapsed, exhausted, on her bed. They were gone when she awoke, but the signs of their visit remained—her bedroom was a mess. She cleaned it before her dad or Karen noticed, and after that she had called for them, one at a time. They hadn't come. She always called for them when she was depressed or angry, and they never came.

"I've missed you, Sarah." Hoggle wondered what she was expecting. There was no way for her to get to him. Did she realize that?

* * *

"She's found the dwarf," Jareth mused to himself, one leg slung casually over the arm of his throne. He altered the maze to keep her from Hoggle—he knew if she reunited with her old friends, they would only turn her against him. He wouldn't have that, not this time.

He watched the distraught expression on her face when she realized what he had done. He couldn't keep her from everyone—he watched her, but the Goblins often needed his attentions and he would not let her fixate him just yet. There were many creatures in the Labyrinth which she could befriend and too few were loyal to him.

He watched her failed attempts at pushing through the hedge—the small branches snagged on her clothes, cut her face, and became too dense for even her hand—and climbing the hedge—thick as it was, it would not hold her up.

"Beautiful, stubborn girl," he whispered softly, his breath fogging the delicate crystal sphere in his gloved hand.

* * *

Sarah ran.

She realized there was no way to reach her friend, and she ran away in tears. It was Jareth's doing, that was obvious. He knew as well as she did that she could not have rescued Toby without the help of her friends.

She heard Hoggle calling for her, but she chose to ignore him. There was nothing he could do for her and nothing she could do for him. He tried to keep up with her on the other side of the wall, but she was much faster than the out-of-shape dwarf.

Finally she stopped. Her surroundings had changed completely, as they often did in the Labyrinth. She now stood in a small clearing. The grass beneath her was a bright, unnatural shade of green. There were four exits from the clearing—the walls spread out to meet and form a circle. The deep green hedge walls were behind her. Stone walls were directly ahead, walls formed by thin, close together trees stood to her left, and walls made of some thick, shoulder high, blue-tinted plant were on her right.

She had already been in the hedge maze; she had gone through a forest and a network of rock walls. She went to the right.

* * *

"Your luck may have run out," Jareth whispered into his crystal.


	4. Promises to Ourselves

_Author's Notes: Again, thank you very much for the reviews. I'll probably feel the need to say this at the beginning of every chapter, too. Sorry. :) And also, I didn't look over this chapter quite as many times as the others, so there may be a ton of typos or something else that would embarass me._

Chapter Four: Promises to Ourselves

"Who are you?" The little girl asked, terror lighting up her pale grey eyes.

"I'm the Goblin King." Jareth responded. The fear intensified. She knew him.

"Is… is Carson coming for me?" The girl's soft voice seemed about to give out. She pushed herself further into the corner.

"No. Sarah is," the king told her. He had been keeping Lydia in a small room near his throne room, but far enough away for the Goblins to leave her alone. She was old enough to be scared of them but not old enough to realize they couldn't hurt her.

"Why?"

"She wished you away." The girl looked devastated. Obviously she would have preferred her older brother to have said the words. One of the tattered, dirty dolls kept in the room fell from her hand as tears started sliding down her cheeks. Jareth almost felt sorry for her.

"It was an accident," he said, sounding very unlike himself. "Your brother could never make it through my Labyrinth. Sarah has a chance." He glanced at the open door behind him, making sure nobody was listening. He would be embarrassed if he were caught being unnecessarily kind to a wished-away child.

Lydia made a soft whimpering noise and curled herself tighter into the corner. She watched the Goblin King's boots _thudd_ing on the stone floor as he left. Sarah had read to her from the book about him, and then once, after she promised not to tell, she had told her about her own adventure in the Labyrinth. She had made Jareth sound evil but alluring, a word which Lydia herself did not yet know. But she had recognized the way Sarah felt about him, even though Sarah had yet to see it—it was the way she should have felt for Carson.

* * *

Sarah felt her eyes widen as the ground seemed to slide to the left.

"What?" She muttered to herself, glancing down.

She was standing on what looked like a walking lump of dirt.

She had carefully stuck to the narrow path that winded through the field of that tall, blue-green plant. She could see the top of the castle to one side, trees to another and empty sky everywhere else. There were no alternate paths through the field, just the one she was one. It turned and sometimes doubled back, but it was the only way. Sarah found that to be extremely peculiar in a place like the Labyrinth.

She carefully stepped off the mound of dirt and leaned down to examine it. It was still moving, but slowly.

"Um, hello?" She said, aware that anything in the Labyrinth might respond if you talked to it.

The lump of dirt did not seem to be one of those things. It moved forward on, Sarah could now see, four thin, stick-like legs.

"I have to get through this Labyrinth and I was wondering if you could help me." She went on, feeling uncomfortably like a younger version of herself, the one who had asked that many times before.

"Don't think so," the cracked, dry voice that came from the little creature startled her into jumped back a bit.

"But… why not?"

"I don't know the way. Can't see anything higher than your foot."

"Oh. Well, I'm sorry." Sarah quickly brushed her hair out of her face and leaned down further, placing her cheek on the cool, damp ground.

"Hello." The creature told her. On closer inspection, it seemed to be a turtle made out of dirt.

"Hi," Sarah responded, surprised when it smiled at her. She had never seen a turtle, dirt or otherwise, smile.

"Are you aiming to get to the castle?" The dirt-turtle asked her, its smile fading. It stopped walking, its mouth less than an inch away from her nose.

"Yes. Can you help me?" Sarah asked again now that it seemed friendlier.

"No. But you should turn around. This path just leads to a forest full of traps that'll land you in the Bog of Eternal Stench."

"Oh. Thank you!" The Bog of Eternal Stench was not a place Sarah wished to revisit, despite the fact that she might possibly meet Sir Didymus there. The turtle smiled at her and began walking again, indicating that it had nothing more to say.

Sarah ran back along the path, heading for the clearing as quickly as she could. She had already wasted too much time.

She didn't hear the turtle's soft chuckles as it trundled away. Nor did she hear Jareth's, in the castle just beyond the Goblin City, the back gate of which opened directly to the end of the path through the thick, blue-tinted plants.

* * *

"You've been spending a lot of time wasting time." The voice startled Sarah. She turned around quickly.

"I remember you!" The familiar little creatures thrilled her. She remembered talking to them before—_"One of us always tells the truth, and one of us always lies."_ Two upside-down fox-like creatures peeked out at her underneath what appeared to be a shield. The top ones laughed, their heads sticking up between the spindly feet of their companions.

"We don't remember you!" The top right one called out.

"I beat this Labyrinth before! One of you tells the truth and one of you lies—I remember." _And one of these doors leads to the castle_, she thought.

"We do not!" One of them, Sarah didn't pay enough attention to notice which, said. She let her eyes wander over the tops of the doors they guarded. She couldn't see the castle in the distance. Hadn't she been able to see it before? _Maybe not, three years is a long time to remember something like that._

"And one of these doors leads to the castle at the center of the Labyrinth and the other leads to certain death—see, I do remember you."

"They do not! You're thinking of some other doors! One of _these_ doors leads to the Magical Forest and the other leads to the Bog of Eternal Stench."

"Magical Forest? How many magical forests are there here?" Sarah assumed it might be a good idea to figure those things out. She had seen two forests so far, which may or may not have been the same ones she had gone through before.

"Only one!" One of the bottom guards said.

"But," the other began, "There's the More Magical Forest, the Most Magical Forest, the Un-magical Forest, the Despair Forest, the Solitude Forest, the Solitaire Forest, the Mirrored Forest, the Lava Forest, the Beast Forest, the Trap Forest, the Colored Forest, and the King's Forest."

"This place must be bigger than I thought." Sarah mused aloud. The four creatures broke out in laughter.

"This place goes on forever if you let it!" One of them told her. Sarah didn't like that. It was better before she knew.

"The King's Forest—what's that?" It seemed like the place to find Jareth, which was probably going to be the easiest way for her to save Lydia. She could try to bargain with him. It was better than running around his Labyrinth for thirteen hours, getting nowhere. Or the ten hours she had left...

"Oh, you can't go there." All four of the guards immediately turned solemn. "The entrance only opens for the King himself. And the only place you can go now is the Magical Forest or the Bog of Eternal Stench. Take your pick!"

Sarah promised herself that she would get into the King's Forest somehow. She would ask everyone else she met, since it was obvious she wouldn't get anything from these creatures.

"This one," Sarah started towards the left door. The guards laughed as the door swung open.

"We didn't say pick a door. We said pick a destination." Sarah realized her error as she stepped through the doorway, but when she turned around to go back, the door swung closed in front of her.

"Damn it!" She slammed one hand into the door, knowing it was pointless. Slapping a stone door? _This place is really getting to me_, she reflected. _I guess I'd better see where this doorway goes before getting too angry_.

* * *

"She had better not fall in," Jareth mumbled to himself, staring intently into his crystal ball. He seemed to have done little else in the past three hours. Oh, he'd seen the girl, Lydia, and solved a dispute two Goblins had over a chicken they both wanted to throw out a window, but that had only taken a total of five minutes. The rest of the time he had spent watching Sarah or kicking Goblins because he was forcing himself to refrain from watching Sarah.

He thought she had gotten used to his Labyrinth and its tricks. He was sure she would recognize the meaning of the question and ask to go to the Magical Forest. Now she was heading towards the Bog of Eternal Stench and if she fell in, he wasn't sure if even his magic could entirely rid her of the smell. It was the one part of the Labyrinth he had not created himself—it was what he had built the rest of it around.

And to make matters worse, he saw no way to stop her from meeting Sir Didymus, the fox that guarded the bridge—one of her old friends. If you could call what he guarded nowadays a bridge, that is. Jareth kept forgetting to have the Goblins build a new one. Oh, he could just do it himself without getting up from his throne, but he liked sending the Goblins to the Bog of Eternal Stench. Many of them fell in and expected to be let back into the castle. Most of them he just vaporized, but some of them he sent into the Labyrinth to misdirect his visitors.

_I could just offer to take her to the Magical Forest_, Jareth thought. In a second, he had disappeared from his throne.

* * *

"The smell," Sarah muttered disgustedly. She had obviously picked the wrong door.

She moved carefully along the high-walled, stone passageway, remembering what had happened when she had met those guards' look-alikes. She couldn't afford to fall into an oubliette now—who could save her?

She kept one hand on the right wall, clutching at the stones. It was really pointless—there was no way she could get a good enough grip to hold herself up, but she did it anyway. It made her feel safer.

"Sarah," Jareth's voice seemed to come from all directions until she realized he was standing only inches behind her. She whirled around and stepped back until her back touched the wall.

"Yes?" She was disgusted to hear the slight tremor in her voice.

"I've come to offer you a way out."

"You've already done that."

"Have I?" Jareth's smirk made it into more of a statement.

"Yes," Sarah said. He had back in the Mirrored Forest.

"No, Sarah. I have not."

"Yes, you have!"

"I was going to, but I learned I had saved you. So I didn't. But I'm not offering you a way out of the Labyrinth now. I'm offering you a way out of the Bog of Eternal Stench." He watched her face carefully. He knew if she thought of her friend, she would go ahead. Amazingly, she seemed not to realize he would be there. Good luck was on his side for once.

"Ok. Where will you take me?"

"The Magical Forest, if you wish." Jareth knew he shouldn't have said the last part. She would get suspicious and begin thinking if he were too helpful. Then she would remember Sir Didymus and reunite with him and his hairy little steed in the Bog of Eternal Stench. Surrounded by her old friends, or even one of them, she would remember more and more of her last visit to the Labyrinth, and with that, more and more of her old feelings and resentment.

Dealing with Sarah was so very complicated.

_How you've turned my world, you precious thing._

But he promised himself would succeed this time—although he wasn't entirely sure what success would be.


	5. Flowers

Chapter Five: Flowers

"How is it magical?" Sarah asked as she appeared next to Jareth in the Magical Forest. She quickly stepped away, pulling her arm out of his grasp.

"Now, Sarah, I've helped you enough."

Then the Goblin King was gone. Sarah looked around.

The forest was dark—the trees were tall and thick, blocking out almost all of the light. Only a few small patches of sunshine filtered down, lighting colorful flowers, odd-looking fruit hanging from the trees, small, oddly colored rocks on the ground, and Sarah herself. The forest was beautiful, and Sarah was shocked that Jareth could have done such a thing.

Sarah knelt down to pick one of the small, delicate pale pink flowers near the base of a tree. She straightened back up and moved into the sunlight, twirling the stem between her fingers.

"I'm wasting time," Sarah said quietly as she stared in awe at the soft shimmer of the flower's petals. She held it still, watched the sparkle; she twirled it, watched the sparkle. _I have to see them all shine_, she thought frantically. She gently laid the flower down near where she had picked it and rushed to a nearby clump of white flowers. She hurried back to the small scrap of sunshine and watched the petals.

She went through the pale purple flowers, the red flowers, the light yellow flowers, the darker yellow flowers, the bright purple flowers, the unusual soft green flowers…. She spent the most time watching the green ones—she had never seen a flower that color before.

Fascinated, she picked up the pile of discarded flowers. All of the ones she had stared at so intently, she looked at again. _I'm wasting too much time_—but the thought was amused, distant, somehow incomplete.

"Such beautiful flowers," she mumbled softly to herself.

* * *

Back on his throne, Jareth watched her through a crystal.

_She won't save this child_.

He felt sad, almost miserable. He should have let her go on to the Bog of Eternal Stench. Sarah would hate herself completely for failing to rescue the little girl, and it would be his fault. He was unwittingly messing with her mind and her heart—every aspect of her and her future. He could ruin her.

He wanted to keep the girl. Of course, he wanted to keep all the children. But this one was different—he didn't want to turn her into a Goblin. There were better things for her—creatures she could become without her innocent beauty being wasted. The way she looked at him reminded him of Sarah. Not Sarah now, of course. The girl was much too young and Jareth would not be pleased in the slightest. The way Sarah had looked at him when he first spoke to her over Toby's empty crib—that was the way Lydia saw him. The terror he invoked delighted him.

Turning the girl into a mischievous little pixie would be fantastic, but it was not worth Sarah's suffering.

He could not offer to help her again. She would refuse him, assuming that he was attempting to misdirect her. He could not risk reuniting her with her old friends. She would hate him. He could not break the Magical Forest's spell from this far. If he got closer, he would lose his will to release her from the charm. He would be forced into it as well, and the result would be similar to their dance in the ballroom—a beautiful, dream-like occurrence which he would be disinclined to end.

* * *

Lydia gently uncurled herself from the uncomfortable position she had fallen asleep in. She knew she had only been out for a few minutes, and she was still tired. She didn't know how long she had slept in the cold, stone room before she woke up. She also didn't know how much longer Sarah had to solve the Labyrinth and save her. It didn't matter—she was too tired to worry about it. She had slept the entire time she had been in the room, with the exception of when the Goblin King had come to see her. So how was she still so tired?

Lydia wondered what she had done to make Sarah want to wish her away. The Goblin King had said it was an accident—but Sarah had said the Goblin King was greedy and deceitful. Who was deceiving her?

Goblins chattered angrily as they rushed down the hallway, past the locked door of the lonely room. _Please come save me, Sarah_, Lydia thought hopelessly.

She crawled out of the corner, her pale pink princess nightgown collecting dirt from the floor. A bundle of rough-looking grey blankets were piled in the far corner—maybe she could sleep there.

The blankets smelled bad, but Lydia tried to ignore it. She pulled one over her head. It muffled the noises from the hallway and blocked out the light from the small window. She soon fell asleep.

* * *

_I need this one again_, Sarah thought as she reached for the white flower.

She now sat in the small patch of sunlight, the flowers spread out in front of her. She picked them up in random order, admiring them again. She had gone through them all countless times, but she couldn't stand to see anything else. If she looked away, her eyes ached and watered until she returned her attention to the delicate beauty of the petals.

* * *

Jareth still watched through the crystal. Thirty minutes she had wasted under the forest's spell. He was becoming frantic—she had to win back this child, too.

* * *

"Sarah!" The voice seemed to echo through the trees and slam into Sarah. She felt the force of it push her backwards, tearing her eyes from the flowers. She let out a gasp as her back hit the ground. She scrambled to get back up and make sure her flowers had not been blown away, but the voice knocked her back again.

The flowers were forced from her mind as the pressure of the voice increased. This time it didn't simply knock her backwards. With a continuous scream, it weighed down on her until she could no longer breathe.


	6. Feelings

_Some more author's notes: Thank you for all your reviews, especially AmericanWoman. Your reviews definitely provide a basic outline for things that I need to cover in the next chapter. Thank you! :)_

Chapter Six: Feelings

Lydia's eyes opened slightly. All she could see was the grey fabric of the itchy blankets that covered her. But now she could hear something new—someone screaming Sarah's name. It sounded far away, and Lydia wondered if it was where Sarah was.

She thought she should wake up. Obviously something was happening, and she should be awake to witness it, despite the fact that she could not possibly do so from the small room she was confined to. Curiosity demanded that she get up and go to the window—maybe she could see _something_. She ignored the urge and instead, pressed her hands tightly over her ears.

_I'm too tired_.

* * *

Sarah writhed on the ground, struggling uselessly against the strength of the voice.

_It's Jareth_—the thought was just stating what she already knew and had not yet put into words. It didn't sound like him, but there was still no doubt that it was him. _He's going to kill me!_

* * *

A few of the Goblins in the throne room watched their king with interest. His eyes were tightly shut and his mouth was slightly opened, pressed against the crystal in his hand. They weren't concerned, nor did they care what he was doing—they thought he looked funny.

Jareth was completely focused on Sarah. He didn't notice the Goblins and their chuckles. He wouldn't have cared if he did—punishment could come later. There were more important things.

He felt Sarah fighting. He couldn't stop until she gave up—he didn't know if she was fighting to get back to the flowers or just to get free. Until he was sure she had no more desire to look at them, he couldn't let her go.

He wasn't entirely comfortable with the fact that he was breaking rules for Sarah. He knew he would do anything for her, that wasn't the problem. The problem was that others might find out. There was no logical way they could do so, but still, what if other girls from Aboveground learned and expected him to hold their hands and guide them through the trickery of his Labyrinth? It would be no great bother—just an inconvenience as he would have to deal with them all whining about how unfair it was. His image was what would suffer the most. They would no longer fear him.

But it was a small price to pay. A very small price.

* * *

Eventually, Sarah resigned herself to her fate and lay still.

Almost immediately, the voice disappeared.

Apprehensively, she sat back up. She was certain the voice would come back in a moment.

She saw the flowers on the ground. They had been crushed into the dirt. Sarah instantly realized how the forest was magical. It was like the peach, just a way to distract her and make her forget her task. That's why Jareth had taken her from the Bog of Eternal Stench.

_So why did he break the spell?_

Sarah stood up quickly. She knew she had to get out of the forest soon. She didn't know how much time she had spent there, and that scared her. _There have to be more traps_.

A path began several feet away. Sarah ran for it. _I can't waste any more time!_

* * *

_I should have known she would think the worst of me_.

Jareth wished he had left her to enter the Bog of Eternal Stench. The point had been to prevent her from hating him more than he could reverse. He wasn't sure how she felt about him, but he was certain there was something—some small spark he could work with in the three hours he would have with her. Unless, of course, he accidentally extinguished it in his attempts to help her.

He was pleased when she stayed on the main path and ignored the smaller one branching off. At the speed she was going, she would not be able to avoid falls into oubliettes or the Bog of Eternal Stench.

The Magical Forest was unusual in that the main path was the one that led you closer to the castle. That was mostly because the spell of the forest would convince you that more flowers would be found along the smaller, less traveled paths. Now that Sarah was no longer under the spell, Jareth hoped she would not think taking another path would be the clever thing to do.

* * *

_I wonder how big this forest is_, Sarah thought as she stopped to take a rest. She leaned against a tree, carefully adverting her eyes from the flowers all around. She couldn't wait to get out.

There were too many flowers, and so many of them seemed to be growing in the shafts of sunlight, making them all the more difficult to ignore.

Sarah's mind turned back to her previous question—why had Jareth broken the spell? He took her into the Magical Forest himself. His motives about that confused her until she had been released from the trance. He had obviously wanted her there, spending the rest of her time watching the glimmer of the petals. Had he changed his mind? Had it been an accident? Was he planning better things for her?

_Sir Didymus! Sir Didymus will help me if I turn around and go back to the Bog of Eternal Stench! Oh, why didn't I think of that before?_

Maybe that had been Jareth's motivation for taking her into the Magical Forest. But, no. That would mean he didn't want her falling under the forest's spell in the first place.

Sarah turned to stare back down the path in the direction she had come. Could she risk going back to find Sir Didymus? _It's my best chance. He knows the way to the castle_. But there were so many flowers between her and the doors. And did they even open from this side? She had made the right choice when she chose the left door, albeit unknowingly. Then the Goblin King had messed it up. She could be halfway to the castle by now!

_Why does he do this to me?_ Sarah could think of nothing she had done to deserve it. She had never hurt him, had she? Oh, she had refused his offers of his love, but that was because he just wanted to distract her. If she had stayed with him, he wouldn't have let Toby go. And he soon would have tired of her. So where would that leave her? She and Toby would be Goblins.

Sarah tried to ignore the way those thoughts made her feel. Setting her sights on the Goblin King was aiming way too high. She had believed it could happen when she read the book and played her games in the park, but when she actually met him, all her hopes had faded.

_Maybe if I were beautiful, or magical, or interesting, or talented…._

"I just need to get out of this Labyrinth and forget about him," she said resolutely. "And I should stop talking to myself, too."

She started running again.

* * *

Jareth watched the emotions play across her face and wondered if she knew he watched her. It should be obvious enough, but she did not act with the prudence of one who knows their every move is being observed.

He tried to decipher her expressions. He had seen anger, sadness, and pain. Then she had spoken. She spoke of him. Certainly that confirmed his hopes, didn't it?

Unless she wished to forget him because he made her angry.

_Stop obsessing. I'll find out after her time is up._

He was nervous. The suave, powerful, fearsome Goblin King was nervous! What if he imagined her feelings for him? She would refuse him and he would have to let her go. That would not be easy for him.


	7. Questions for the King

Chapter Seven: Questions for the King

When Sarah stopped running, she found herself in a classic Labyrinth hedge maze. She was almost positive she had spent most of her time in the Labyrinth in those hedge mazes and the nearly identical stone ones.

She allowed herself a triumphant smile for finding her way out of the forest, but didn't stop walking.

_I wonder how much time I have left_, she thought.

She realized her shirt had fallen out of her jeans. She hurried to pull it back together and tuck it in before she met anyone. _Or anything_.

Sarah saw the castle directly in front of her, over top of maze's walls. It looked closer than it had, didn't it?

She waited to hear a cry. She kept expecting to hear Lydia's screams like she had heard Toby's, but Lydia was older and less likely to start wailing every ten minutes.

She looked up at the castle again. Selfishly, she wished she _would_ hear Lydia crying. She needed something to motivate her. She wasn't leaving without her, whether she made it through the Labyrinth in time or not. After all, it was her fault Lydia was there. _I had no right in involve her in my problems._ But despite all that, Sarah wanted to quit. She wanted to give up and go home and sleep in her bed until she could forget everything.

Her eyes stayed on the castle as she started forward.

* * *

Lydia sat on top of the blankets, her back against the wall. The cold had instantly soaked through the thin fabric of her nightgown, making her shiver. She ignored it—it helped clear her mind and wake her up. She wasn't sure yet if she wanted to be awake, but she felt she needed to find out what exactly was happening. So, she was waiting for the Goblin King.

When he came, she would ask how much longer Sarah had to get through the Labyrinth. Then she would ask where Sarah was. She wanted to know what would happen to her if Sarah did not make it, and she was going to find out why Sarah had wished her away. She wanted to hear it from the Goblin King before she asked Sarah, although she wasn't sure why.

Thinking that she did something to make Sarah hate her that much made her feel useless. She loved Sarah—she was her hero, exactly what Lydia wanted to be. Sarah had never done anything to indicate that she was mad at Lydia—just last night, yesterday, today, whenever it was, Sarah had brought three more books for Lydia to borrow.

Lydia spent most of her time reading Sarah's books, but she liked it more when Sarah came over and read to her. Sarah would explain any words Lydia wasn't familiar with—Carson wouldn't even look at the words when Lydia asked, and her parents were always busy doing something. And Sarah made voices for all the characters that made Lydia picture them better.

She tried to ignore the sadness she felt. Maybe when Sarah saved her, she could find out what she did wrong and fix it.

* * *

Jareth sat stiffly on his throne, his back perfectly straight and his hands resting on his knees. He knew the girl, Lydia, wanted to see him, but he wasn't going to go yet. He didn't want her to think the Goblin King was doing her bidding.

There was no crystal in front of him.

After seeing Sarah's emotions so clearly earlier, he had felt guilty. He had felt like a spy. He felt like he was betraying her by watching when she didn't expect it. He made himself stop—he crushed the crystal. Of course, he could instantly make another. But the blood and crystal shards that decorated his palm would make him think before he did.

Many of the smarter Goblins had hastily left when they saw their king's tension. The ones who stayed eventually adopted a quieter tone, knowing that upsetting him further could be fatal. None of them said anything, even in a whisper, about Sarah or the Labyrinth. Sarah aggravated them in that she upset Jareth so much. They didn't care about anyone's feelings except their own, but Jareth's anger was usually released on them—as was his sadness, his anxiety, and sometimes his joy, as well. All negatively.

Jareth's eyes didn't move from his hands. Occasionally, a braver Goblin would chance a quick, side-ways glance at him, just to make sure he wasn't glaring around the room. If he started that… Well, they knew when to leave.

Jareth's body had yet to move, but his mind was moving faster and faster. He felt far-away, the intense pain in his hand and the drying stickiness on his knee were distant ideas.

He was trying to picture Sarah in his mind, envision her face and her thoughts and her actions. It wasn't working. His mind was offensively refusing to see her face correctly—her mouth would be too wide, then when he got that fixed, her eyes would be too light. He would finally correct that, just to find that her nose was too long. It was a disgrace to do that to her.

It was just making it worse.

He fixed the picture of her he was forming in his mind, finally getting it all right. He glanced down at the rest of her. She had no arms.

He clenched his fist, grinding the bits of crystal deeper. Blood began flowing again, drenching his knee and the top of his calf. He needed to see her.

* * *

Sarah was in a field—a large, empty field. On the other side, she saw a forest. On the left and right were dismal rock walls.

She was reluctant to enter another forest, but her only other option was turning around and going back, which would only take her to the last one. She doubted any forest could be worse than that.

Jareth had not spoken to her for some time, now, and she was beginning to wish he would. Things were much simpler when he appeared and made his tricks obvious, and besides, she had questions for him. She didn't know how much time she had left, and she didn't know why he had released her from the forest's spell. She wanted to ask him, although she doubted he would give her an honest, logical answer to the last question.

She started across the field, afraid only of what she would find on the other side.


	8. Wounds

_Author's Notes: A fairly short chapter. I should probably stop updating so often. But anyway, please let me know what you think._

Chapter Eight: Wounds

Jareth heard the clock chiming.

Seven hours left.

He slowly began to feel the pain in his hand more and more as he came away from his fantasy.

* * *

Halfway across the field, Sarah felt a sting on her ankle. She glanced down, assuming she was imagining it.

Blood was soaking through the leg of her jeans. She bent down to examine it—there was a small hole in the denim. _A snake, _she thought. She glanced around at the lush, ankle-high grass, trying to spot the culprit.

The grass was moving slightly a few feet away. Cautiously, Sarah stood and stepped in that direction. She didn't want to get close to a snake—especially not if it had already bit her for no apparent reason. _I need to see if it's a poisonous one_. It didn't occur to her that she knew nothing about snakes.

Two steps away from the rustling blades of grass, she stopped walking and instead, leaned forward and peered down.

It wasn't a snake.

_I remember those things!_

The sticks the guards had been attacking Ludo with when she first met him—the ones with those little nippy creatures on them! It was one of those creatures. _A nipper_, Sarah thought with a chuckle. Quickly, she stepped back, having established that no poison had been injected into her.

_Wish I had a Band-Aid_.

She began making her way across the field, wondering what that thing had been doing out here, not clinging to a stick being swung around by a Goblin. _A much better life, I'd guess_.

"Ow," Sarah muttered, glancing down at her other ankle. This time, she saw the pink, shriveled-looking nipper hurrying away. _Was that the same one?_

She looked carefully all around her. There were little patches of trembling grass everywhere—the field was infested.

"Damn it," Sarah didn't bother to look at the one that bit the back of her ankle, just above her sock. She felt the warm blood dripping from the wound.

She began running, but soon slowed down, realizing she would step on a nipper. As much as they hurt, she didn't want to squash one.

The more times they bit her, the more certain she became that she would never reach the forest. _I'll be mauled to death by nippers!_

* * *

Lydia felt her eyes beginning to close. She struggled to stay awake and watch the door—the Goblin King had to come eventually.

She felt like she had been awake for days, but she was sure it hadn't even been an hour.

She heard the door scraping against the floor just as her eyes dropped shut. She struggled to open them.

"Goblin King?" Her sleepy mouth barely got the words formed before spitting them out.

"Yes," the king replied. He closed the door gently, trying desperately not to look at the little girl.

"How much time is left?" Lydia asked. Her eyes refused to open more than half-way, and her mouth felt dry.

"Six hours and fifty-four minutes." Lydia's eyes snapped open as soon as he said the words. So she had been there, sleeping for five hours already? But seven hours wasn't a lot of time at all.

"What if Sarah doesn't save me?" Lydia felt her eyes widening more and more. She was fully awake now, rapidly becoming terrified.

"She will," Jareth heard the gentle tone of his voice and inwardly winced. He looked at the little girl, clad in her pink nightgown with 'princess,' printed across the front. He realized he should give up on being anything but kind to her. _If Sarah had stayed with me…._

Her pale blond hair and dark eyes were what really got to him. Hair like his, eyes like Sarah's. He no longer wanted to turn her into any sort of mystical creature—he wanted to hug her and tell her bedtime stories and watch her grow up.

_As the pain sweeps through, makes no sense for you._

Lydia meant to ask where Sarah was, but she was too shocked after the Goblin King assured her she would be rescued. _I thought he wanted to keep the children_, she thought. _Maybe I'm not good enough for him, either._

"Why did she wish me away?" Lydia finally thought to ask. The Goblin King had been staring wistfully out the window, but his different-colored eyes met hers as soon as she spoke the first word.

She saw his eyes harden as he looked back towards the window.

"She had no choice."

Then he left the room.

* * *

Sarah finally reached the end of the clearing and stumbled through the trees. Her ankles throbbed sharply, and she felt her socks _squish_ with every step. She clutched a tree for support, then, thinking better of it, sat down and leaned against it.

Gingerly, she pulled the denim away from her legs and rolled it up to keep it from rubbing. The pain increased when she saw the damage the little things had done—her ankles were just masses of raw meat. She started crying.

_There's no way I can make it to the castle like this!_

* * *

Jareth leaned against the wall in the hallway. He had kept his hands behind his back during the time he'd been in the room with the girl. He hadn't wanted to frighten her.

He opened his right hand, slowly, wincing as the crystals scraped. He knew he had to pull them out, but he wasn't sure he was up to it. The pain was nauseating as it was.

Blood dripped onto the floor between his boots. He heard the Goblins chattering in the throne room. He couldn't go back there. He didn't want to deal with them.

The only person he wanted to see was Sarah. But he had to stay away from her for a while. It was best for both of them.

_But what if she needs me?_ No. No. _Why would she ever need me?_


	9. A Failure

_Author's Notes: Thank you all for your reviews. I kind of feel bad for not replying to them, but I'm a bit too lazy. :) I appreciate all of them._

Chapter Nine: A Failure

Sarah had been leaning against the tree for far too long. She knew she had to get up and keep going, but she had no idea what to do about her legs. Every time she glanced down at them, they seemed to hurt worse.

She kept looking around, trying to spot something through the trees.

It took her an uncomfortably long time to realize she was waiting for Jareth.

_Why isn't he coming? I can't make it to the castle! He has to come make a deal!_

* * *

Lydia stood, looking out the window. She still wondered how the Goblin King had been so certain that Sarah would get to the castle in time.

_And why didn't she have a choice about wishing me away?_ Thinking about that still hurt, despite the Goblin King's words. _Maybe she didn't have a choice because she really wanted me gone._

Lydia was no longer tired, but she glanced back at the pile of dirty blankets, longing for sleep. It was easier than thinking about everything.

She turned back to the view of the Labyrinth. It looked complicated and endless—how could anyone ever get through it? Sarah had done it before—twice seemed impossible. _Why should she even try?_

Lydia closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against the side of the window. She had been relieved when she finally woke up, but now she wished she hadn't. There was nothing to do to keep her mind off her problems—the only things the room contained were the blankets and two dirty rag dolls.

She sighed and lifted her head to stare out at the Labyrinth again. _I wonder if I could ever do it_.

* * *

Jareth stood in a room similar to the one he had locked Lydia in. The room was empty save for a table and one chair against the far wall.

He walked to the table and sat down. The window, directly across the table from where he sat, lit his hand as he opened it in front of him. The light glinted softly off the crystal shards. He had to pull them out.

He gripped the largest one, near the base of his middle finger. The edge cut slightly into the thumb of his other hand. He pulled.

By the time he was done, he was dizzy with blood loss. The deep cuts on his hand stung horribly and the pile of pink and red tinted crystals on the table before him seemed to deride him. He was disgusted with himself.

_I was right. I shouldn't watch her._

He attempted to bandage his hand. It was clumsily done and took longer than he was comfortable with, but it served its purpose.

He stood up, clutching the back of the chair for support. The floor seemed to tilt momentarily, but he closed his eyes until it passed. He made his way across the room to the door.

He still didn't want to go to the throne room. He needed to go make sure the Goblins weren't killing each other, but he just didn't feel up to it. _I should check on Sarah_.

He paused in the doorway, uncertain. _I always do that. Not just with Sarah_.

He headed for the throne room. He could deal with them, as long as he was going to see Sarah. He could do that—he complicated things for everyone while they tried to solve his Labyrinth. He would just go, offer some deal or lead her somewhere else, and come back.

He kept his left hand against the wall as he made his way to the throne room.

The Goblins looked up at him as he entered. They had not forgotten his earlier mood and would act with discretion until they could interpret his disposition.

Jareth ignored them and only faintly noted that they quickly moved as far away from him as the space would allow. He sat on his throne and materialized a crystal.

* * *

Sarah closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the tree. She knew she wasn't going to save Lydia.

Movement in front of her caught her attention. The tree trunk's rough bark caught in her hair as she jerked back up.

The Goblin King was finally here! Finally, he came to help her!

"Sarah, what happened?" His eyes showed concern, worry, and something darker as he looked down at her exposed ankles. Sarah noticed he was keeping his hands hidden behind his back—_he's never done that before, has he?_

"The… the nipper things, they b-bit me," she was ashamed when the tears started flowing with the first word, but she couldn't stop it. She was so glad to see him—she never thought she would've felt that way, but she did—and her ankles hurt so badly….

"Sarah, I--" and then he was gone. Just as suddenly as he had appeared, he had left again. Sarah stared around, wondering if he had just gone somewhere else. No, he hadn't. She had seen his eyes widen, the surprise on his face the second before he was gone. Obviously that hadn't been his doing, had it?

_Oh, God. Is there someone more powerful around here?_

Sarah whimpered softly, wishing he would come back soon and save her somehow.

* * *

The Goblins jumped when they noticed Jareth was back in his throne. His eyes blazed and he clenched his left fist furiously, but his skin looked paler than usual and his lips held a slight blue tint.

A few Goblins close to the doorways ran shamelessly. They knew something was coming.

Moments later, three Goblins slammed into the ground below the throne room's windows. The others were fighting, clawing each other mercilessly, trying to get out of the room.

There was no point. Jareth collapsed back onto his throne, sweating copiously and breathing hard. The blood loss had made him too weak to do magic, and taking out his wrath on a few of the nearer Goblins hadn't done anything to improve that. He closed his eyes, thinking of Sarah. _I've failed her._ The way she had looked at him—she had been so happy to see him, but he couldn't stay long enough to help her. _She'll hate me for this. _He already did hate himself for it. Crushing the crystal had been a childish, immature thing to do and now both he and Sarah were suffering for it. He tried to block the image of her ankles from his mind, but it did no good. Her injuries had to hurt as much as, if not more than, his own. There was nothing he could do about it, and it was his fault.

_How could I ever deserve her?_

* * *

Lydia sat down on top of the blankets. She willed herself to fall asleep, but it didn't happen. Instead, she was hungry.

She apparently had been for a while, since she was now weak because of her empty stomach. She assumed she had just been too tired and upset to notice it.

She felt like crying. Thirteen hours wasn't a long time, but it was too long to go without food. Especially since she hadn't ate much of her dinner the night before, or whenever it had been.

Lydia wondered if wished-away children did get fed while they were waiting. She doubted it, but she went back to staring at the door. It had brought the Goblin King last time, after all. She would wait for him again.


	10. Sleep

Chapter Ten: Sleep

Jareth eventually fell into a fitful sleep, necessary only because of his condition.

The throne was uncomfortable and that woke him up several times, but each time, he didn't have the will to move.

In his dream, Sarah lived in the castle with him.

_She sat on the arm of his throne, dressed in a beautiful wedding gown, as they watched a young girl struggling through the Labyrinth. The entire front wall of the castle was missing, providing them with a spectacular view of the Goblin City and the surrounding areas of his maze._

_The girl was accompanied by Sarah's old friends, Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Didymus. But the girl wasn't Sarah. It was Lydia._

_She reached the Goblin City, looking almost absurd in her pink nightgown, holding the hand of a big, orange-furred monster. Jareth and Sarah smiled delightedly at the girl's progress._

_She went through a battle with the Goblins just as Sarah had. The group managed to avoid every attack, and retaliated with Ludo calling the rocks to roll through the city._

_Jareth and Sarah laughed victoriously every time Lydia and her friends felled a Goblin with their ingenuity. _

_Then, suddenly, a chicken landed on Sarah's lap and pecked Jareth's side._

He slowly pulled himself out of the dream, to find that he was leaning heavily on the arm of his throne, grinding it into his side. He sat back up and closed his eyes again.

_Sarah stood naked in the middle of a room Jareth recognized as her boyfriend's living room—or her ex-boyfriend, as he obviously had become._

_The ex-boyfriend in question—Jareth couldn't remember his name, and didn't particularly care, anyhow—sat on the couch, holding an ice cream cone. He seemed oblivious to Sarah as he intently stared at the blank screen of the television behind her._

_Jareth stepped forward, bringing himself to her attention. Her eyes brightened and she smiled as she saw him and slid her body gracefully against his. For the first time in his life, Jareth felt unsure of himself in a sexual situation, and not only because of their seemingly unaware audience. This was Sarah, this was perfection, and how would he compare?_

_Sarah wrapped her arms around his neck and pushed down on his shoulders with her arms. They landed on the floor, on their knees. He skimmed his hands across her bare back, feeling the muscles move gently as she shifted her body slightly in response._

_Just moments later, his shirt lay on the floor beside them and Sarah's breath burned across his collarbone. Her fingertips traced the outline of his silver and gold pendant against his chest._

_Then he felt something breathtakingly cold dripping down his back. He glanced behind him._

_The boy sat there, dumbly staring ahead just as he had from the couch. Only now, his hand held the ice cream out against Jareth's skin._

The dream faded and Jareth found himself leaning onto his knees. However, quite to his surprise, nothing cold or wet seemed to be on his back. He sat up again and closed his eyes.

_He stood before a beautifully decorated Christmas tree with Sarah, gently holding her hand._

_The room was dark. He glanced sideways, startled at how beautiful Sarah looked, her face lit only by the soft glow of the white lights on the tree. She looked over at him, and her smile broadened. Smiling back, he watched the delicate shadows her eyelashes made across her cheeks. They moved as she blinked._

_Then they stopped._

_Sarah's hand instantly turned cold in his and her face became pale. His arms went around her as she started to fall._

_He let her down gently, laying her body on the cold floor. The tears fell from his face onto hers, and he desperately tried to wipe them away._

_Slowly, the lights on the Christmas tree began to dim until Jareth was left in the dark. He reached out for Sarah's cold, stiff hand, but found that her body was gone._

He woke up again.

_We don't even celebrate Christmas in the Underground, _he thought before falling back asleep.

The last dream was the best.

_Sarah knelt beside him in a clearing in the middle of his forest, near the bank of a stream. He looked up at her from where he lay, feeling small and frightened. Sarah smiled reassuringly and lifted his hand to her lips._

_Softly, she kissed every wound and then lay down beside him. They stared up at the sky, neither talking nor thinking. They just saw the trees and the stars. There was nothing else for either of them._

He woke up.

The pain in his hand was gone. He glanced down, but saw only the bandages. Quickly, he pulled them off.

Most of the cuts had faded entirely. The worst of them had been reduced to nothing more than pale pink scars.

* * *

_"Such a nice man," Karen sat primly, sipping at a cup of coffee. Sarah and her father sat on the couch, across from the pink armchair Karen occupied._

_"Mhm," Robert agreed, lifting a delicately painted teacup to his lips._

_Sarah, the only one in the room without one of the little cups, awkwardly shifted on the couch._

_"Will you marry him?" Karen asked._

_Sarah looked quickly around the room, seemingly in hopes that someone had appeared to take the attention off her._

_"Well, I don't know. I just met him," she mumbled, pointedly looking away from her stepmother. Karen sighed heavily, sitting her teacup back onto its saucer on the coffee table._

_"Sarah, for the love of God, you had better make a decision for once." Sarah was surprised to hear that coming from her father—it was so unlike him and so perfectly like Karen. Unable to come up with a response, she stared at him blankly._

_"Don't you look at your father that way, Sarah! He's right," Karen supplied, glaring over the stiff, formal-looking floral arrangement on the table. "Are you going to marry the man?"_

_Sarah looked helplessly around the room again. This time, however, she was rewarded with the sight of the man in question watching from the window behind Karen._

_Jareth, the Goblin King, visiting from the Underground._

_Sarah jumped to her feet, waving her arms frantically, knowing only that she had to tell him something._

_"Do you want me to come or do you want me to leave?" He yelled through the glass._

Sarah woke up, startled to find herself staring at tree branches instead of her bedroom ceiling.

It took her only seconds to remember why, and she sat up, looking around for Jareth and trying not to think about her dream. Usually Sarah enjoyed analyzing her and her friends' dreams—they were like little fairy tales, but with much more personal meaning. But this was one she didn't want to understand, and furthermore, had no time to contemplate.

She didn't see him, and began feeling the pain of her ankle the same time as the disappointment.

* * *

Lydia was not dreaming, nor was she sleeping.

She sat on the blankets in the corner of the room, spontaneously eyeing the window.

She had cried over her hunger and her confusion and her sadness and her regret. Then she screamed, then she hit the wall, and then her gaze fell on the window.

It was a tiny window, but she was a tiny girl, even for her young age of nine years and two months. The problem would be reaching it to climb up.

She wasn't entirely sure what she was planning to do once she got there—probably either summon help or jump. She didn't understand the significance of her actions, and therefore didn't judge it to be of great importance. The main thought on her mind was how unbearably hungry she was.

She walked to the far wall, surprised to find the window not quite as high as she had thought from her place on the floor. She placed her hands firmly on the window sill and pushed up, scrambling to reach it with her knees.

After several jumps and an awkward twisting maneuver, she made it.

Sitting on her knees and holding firmly to the frustratingly smooth walls, she leaned over the edge.

It was much father down than she had thought. She felt the terror pushing its way into her mind, but her stomach growled, not allowing itself to be forgotten so easily.

Lydia clumsily and cautiously twisted herself until she sat sideways, one leg dangling on either side of the wall. She felt much safer that way, although a little exposed, with her nightgown pushed up almost to her waist.

She looked down, outside. Past her foot with its pink, painted toenails, she could see a few chickens milling about. Further away, she saw the Goblins going about their daily routines within their city—those in dirty, faded rag dresses feeding chickens, washing clothes. Others were casually sharpening spears and swords. One seemed to be chasing a small, round, rock-like creature with sharp-looking spikes all over its body. She heard that Goblin's aggravated cries as the thing dashed down a narrow street and out of Lydia's sight.

While jumping was almost entirely out of the question, she could still call for help, couldn't she? But the Goblins were loyal to their king and had no reason to help her.

Satisfied with that excuse, she focused on watching the goings-on of the Goblins. Some of them amused her with their antics, some shocked her with their deformed faces and rough bodies, and yet others earned her pity. They had all been normal children once, hadn't they? _And if the Goblin King was wrong about Sarah, I'll be a Goblin, too_.

* * *

Jareth, now fully awake, felt Lydia's desire to see him.

Then that faded. Obviously something else had caught her attention.

He leaned against the back of his throne. He was improving rapidly, but it would still be some time before he could go to Sarah. His lips, a quick glimpse into a half-formed crystal had shown, were still slightly blue and his hand shook dramatically if he did not rest it on something.

He could still go speak with Lydia, find out what she wanted and leave. The last time, he waited so she wouldn't think she had any control over him. But now, she was no longer interested in seeing him, so what did it matter? Besides, it was a way to pass the time until he could see Sarah again and apologize for leaving her there in such a condition.

Jareth stood. His first steps towards the girl's room were undeniably shaky, but it got easier as he progressed.

* * *

Lydia gasped as the door suddenly swung open.

The Goblin King, one hand resting on the doorframe, stood watching her with false serenity. Even Lydia could see that something was distracting him—he simply wasn't himself.

"Hello, Lydia," he said. The cool tone of his voice didn't seem to be off.

"Goblin King," she responded, trying to duplicate the attitude. "I haven't ate in a long time." That came out sounding too whiney for her to be formidable in any way. _Can't even do that right_, she thought.

Jareth's eyebrows rose suddenly. "Is that all?" He asked.

"Well, yeah," Lydia glanced back down at the Goblins in their city, wondering if she should get down now that she had taken care of the major problem.

"I'll have one of the Goblins bring you something." Jareth reached for the door and pulled it shut before him.

Startled at how easily she had dealt with that, Lydia didn't think to ask about Sarah, or the time.

"And do be careful," Jareth's voice came through the crack of the door just before it _click_ed into place.

Lydia turned back to the Goblins. She enjoyed watching them, but she really should get down now—after all, such drastic actions were no longer required.

Just as she turned to hop back down, something caught her attention.

A small Goblin, obviously no more than three or four years old, peered at her from a window on the second story of one of the nearer houses. Lydia heard no cries, but she could distinctly see the tears rolling down the baby's face. Its small hand reached up and waved to her just before it disappeared below the window.

_Maybe the Goblins aren't so bad,_ Lydia thought as her bare feet smacked the hard stone floor.


	11. Come With Me

_Author's Notes: Short chapter, but it was a fitting place to end it. This story is getting close to its end faster than I intended, but there's still quite a bit more to come. :) Let me know what you think?_

Chapter Eleven: Come With Me

_I can't just sit here and wait for someone who isn't coming_, Sarah thought, pushing herself off the ground. The pain increased, but at least her ankles weren't bleeding anymore. The skin, or whatever it was that was exposed, felt stiff and inflexible.

Her socks and most of her shoes were also stiff, having been soaked with her blood. The way her formerly soft, comfortable socks rubbed and scratched her skin aggravated Sarah. She sat back down and took them off. Putting her shoes back on without the socks was almost as bad, but she couldn't dash off through the Labyrinth with no shoes on. _If I even get anywhere like this_.

Sarah hated to keep going, but she was still determined to save Lydia if at all possible. _How much time have I wasted here?_

She started for the nearest tree, wincing with every step. Her mind screamed at her to stop, there was no way she could make it to the castle, but she chose to ignore it.

Her fingertips brushed the bark of the next tree just as things began spinning. _Why am I so dizzy,_ Sarah thought, grabbing for the branch over her head. Her fingers closed on two thick, waxy leaves and she tore them off as she fell down.

The fall hadn't hurt much—she landed on her bottom, like a baby just learning to walk. Feeling sorry for herself, she started to sniffle. The trees around her still tilted madly, but that hardly concerned her after she'd already fallen.

Sarah wiped at her nose with one leaf and her eyes with the other, hoping to stop both of them from leaking before they got out of control. The leaves really did nothing to help her, but they were in her hands already, which simplified things immensely. Nothing had seemed simple since she had tucked Lydia in to bed and turned off the lights. _Then I wished her away and now she'll be a Goblin and it's my fault._

Sarah felt more like a five-year-old than her usual eighteen-year-old self, crying on the ground and refusing to do something about the problem at hand. Ashamed, she dropped the leaves and pushed herself up off the ground.

"Sarah," Jareth casually greeted as she turned and walked into him. Sarah tried to hide her surprise and embarrassment.

"Oh," she said, slowly moving around him to the tree. _If I fall, I don't want to fling myself onto him to stay standing_.

"My magic failed me, Sarah. It wasn't my intention to leave you here." Jareth felt the explanation pouring out of him before he could think, plan out a more rational way to say it.

Sarah walked into the tree, her arms on either side of it. She stared at Jareth questioningly.

"Your magic failed you?"

"Yes, I was weak at the time." _But why are you hugging a tree, _he thought. Asking the question would certainly satisfy his curiosity, but it wasn't the time for it.

"Hmm," Sarah replied, trying to maintain a cool demeanor similar to his. _I wonder if everyone has to do that when they talk to him. It would be easier if I wasn't so lightheaded._

"Sarah, you can't make it to the castle like this," the Goblin King eyed her arms, clasped tightly around the tree trunk.

"No, I don't think I can," she admitted, resting her cheek against the bark. _Now he's going to tell me to give up._

"Come with me to my castle."

* * *

The Goblin had simply opened the door, slid the tray inside, and closed the door back. Lydia barely caught a glimpse of him.

She sat down in front of the door, listening to the Goblin's uneven footsteps becoming fainter and fainter.

The tray was cold, scratched and dented metal, but it looked reasonably clean. Quickly, Lydia devoured the toast sitting on it. That was all—simply four pieces of buttered toast, but she couldn't complain after being as hungry as she was.

She pushed the empty tray against the wall and went back to leaning on the window. A few of the Goblins outside had noticed her there and waved or pointed her out to others, but mostly they ignored her and went about their tasks.

_I guess this is normal for them._

* * *

"What?" Sarah asked, her heart racing. "Aren't you going to let me go home?"

"You owe me three hours," Jareth told her.

Sarah dropped her eyes from his face, wondering what he had planned. _I can't save Lydia that way_. "How much time is left?"

"Less than two hours."

"Damn it," Sarah felt tears collecting in her eyes. _I could try anyway, maybe I'd make it._ She refused to look back up at the Goblin King. She watched the ground, the soft grass covered by twigs and fallen leaves, and waited for him to speak.

"You were injured fairly severely," Jareth began. He felt uncomfortable and confused—he had never done this before. "Thus preventing you from reaching the castle beyond the Goblin City," he felt like a tourist, describing it that way. He took a breath and went on, "I cannot keep the child if you are physically unable to run my Labyrinth." That was a lie. He kept the child unless someone reached the castle and found them, but Sarah wasn't familiar with the rules of the Labyrinth and the Underground.

He saw the skepticism in her eyes when she looked at him. He didn't fully blame her—neither he nor his Labyrinth held your hand through anything. The only help you got was from the Labyrinth's inhabitants, and not all of them were honest. Sarah had been lucky the first time, except for her encounter with the worm. He had meant well, of course, but he had undeniably sent her in the wrong direction.

Sarah looked away from him. Her eyes fell somewhere on the right of Jareth, but she didn't see anything. _He has to be lying. But what choice do I have?_


	12. The Castle Beyond the Goblin City

Chapter Twelve: The Castle Beyond the Goblin City

"Sarah, it doesn't mean you're giving up the girl." Jareth said forcefully, watching the confusion on Sarah's face.

"How do I know you're not tricking me?" Sarah asked. She closed her eyes tightly—she had never thought making it through the Labyrinth would come down to how much trust she could place in the Goblin King. The last time had been much more predictable, although one would never guess.

"Just come with me, Sarah." Jareth grabbed her arm.

* * *

Sarah whimpered softly when she realized she was now in the castle. _He didn't give me a choice!_ She turned to him, preparing to declare his move unfair, but his finger in front of her lips stopped her.

"I am _not_ keeping the girl."

"Then you wouldn't have taken her away in the first place! If you didn't want her, why did you take her?"

"Sarah, I took her because you wished for me to I do so!" Jareth moved away from her and went to his throne. "I thought you had matured since we met last, but you're still taking for granted everything I have done for you!" He covered his face with his hands, trying to calm himself. He hated the way she made him feel—vulnerable, often defensive. In truth though, he really had hoped she had grown up since the last time she wrecked havoc on his emotions. He could understand that maybe she had been a little young for his offers before, but this time she was an adult. She was old enough to see what he could do for her, what he could give her. More importantly, she was old enough to know what she wanted. _It's going to be a tense three hours if what she wants is not me._

Sarah stood dumbly beside his throne, unsure of what to do. He was right. She knew he was right, but she was afraid to admit it. You don't admit things like that to your enemies, no matter what sorts of feelings you are hiding.

Finally, Sarah sat down. There was nothing she could say to him, and her ankles hurt. _They'll hurt just as much sitting down_, she thought, but ignored it. Movement was necessary to bring him out of his thoughts.

"I can send her back Aboveground now." Jareth said, minutes later. Sarah looked over at him, shocked.

"You're really letting her go?"

"You don't trust me," he commented, standing and heading towards the hallway Sarah remembered going down once, alone, _because that's the way it's done_.

Sarah followed after him, slowly, stepping lightly in an attempt to not hurt her ankles any further. _You're treating it like a sprain—it's just big chunks of missing flesh!_

Jareth stopped at the fourth door down the hallway. Sarah assumed the door was locked, but Jareth simply opened it.

* * *

Lydia's eyes snapped away from the window when the door opened again. The Goblin King entered, and Sarah followed. They both stood awkwardly in front of the door. Nobody said anything. Jareth appeared to be waiting for Lydia to do so, and Lydia had no idea who she should be speaking to, once she figured out what to say. Finally, with a small sigh, Sarah plopped onto the floor.

"She made it!" Lydia declared, glancing at Sarah. She looked pale, tired, and her jeans were rolled up to her calves, exposing some horrific looking wounds. Lydia inwardly winced.

"You get to go home now, Lydia." Sarah said. She sounded annoyed. _At me, I guess._ Lydia felt her smile fade.

"Are you coming with me?"

"No. Sarah has things to do here." Jareth maintained his usual calm exterior only by looking away from Sarah.

"Oh."

Sarah looked up. She glanced at Jareth, raising her eyebrows questioningly. Lydia was gone. And she didn't have to go through any rooms with upside-down staircases?

He walked out of the room. She followed, saying nothing, but wondering what returning home would be like for the girl. _I should've said something to her_.

* * *

"Where are we going?" Sarah asked as they walked through the Goblin City.

The glances they received from the Goblins confirmed Sarah's thoughts—this was not an everyday occurrence. Some Goblins stared questioningly, some ran into their houses, some pointed and whispered with others, but Sarah noticed only two who didn't stop what they were doing. One was a female Goblin who was tossing food to chickens, and the other was a baby playing with a dirty, homemade rattle.

"Do they grow up?" Sarah asked, stepping beside the king. He had ignored her previous question, but this one had nothing to do with either of them, and maybe that made a difference.

"Time is slower in the Underground, but they grow up." He responded. He hadn't even looked at her.

She paused for a moment to fall behind him. He apparently wasn't in the mood for talking.

They went through the gates to the Goblin City, and along the path around the outside wall, avoiding the dump. Or Sarah had always thought of it to be a dump—it was what it appeared to be. It could've been anything though, in the Labyrinth. Certainly it was a home to the Junk Lady, and magical enough to show Sarah her own bedroom.

Sarah continued to dwell on memories of her past as Jareth led the way along the wall. They reached the corner and went around.

Set about fifty feet back was another wall. This one was iron, not stone. Behind it was a forest. _The King's Forest_, Sarah thought excitedly.

When they reached the gate, it opened. Sarah noted no latches or handles.

Sarah stepped in after Jareth, looking around. The forest was beautiful.

It was not dark. Sunlight brighter than what had shone outside on the Goblin City filtered down through the trees, lighting vividly colored plants. There were flowers here, more beautiful than the ones Sarah had wasted so long staring at. She wasn't afraid of these—they were different. There were roses, tulips, lilies, dahlias, irises, coneflowers, gladiolus, dianthus, and so many more that Sarah couldn't name.

The trees were tall, some exotic looking, but not overpowering. Their leaves were brilliant shades of green; some reflected the sunlight, but others it passed through.

Sarah had paused to take in the sight and had to run to catch up with Jareth. It startled her that he could create such a place while also making Oubliettes and the Cleaners and turning babies into Goblins. _Maybe he has to do those things…_

* * *

They walked silently until they reached a stream bank—the one from Jareth's dream.

"Lay down, Sarah." Jareth had suspected it would not be easy to make her comply with his wishes. To his surprise, she immediately obeyed.

_I'll see where this goes_, she thought.

Jareth paused before kneeling down near her feet. She looked at him, but her expression was blank. He couldn't fathom what she was thinking, or what had brought about the sudden change. Twenty minutes ago, she would not have lain down without question.

He gently kissed the raw flesh of her ankles as she had done to his hand in his dream. All the while, she watched him with the same blank expression. He began to grow frustrated at her lack of a response, but managed to keep from showing it. To lose his temper with her now that she was passive would have been a mistake.

He took her hand and lay down beside her. There were no stars—they stared at the trees and the clouds, seeing neither. Jareth waited patiently for her to say something—something about her ankles magically healing, something about her feelings—something about the weather would've been acceptable. She stayed quiet, but he noticed her expression changing to shock for a moment, and then to something else. Having only the use of his peripheral vision, he couldn't discern exactly what the look was.

"Why did you do that?" The question startled him. They had been there for more than an hour by then—the sky was darkening and soon they _would_ be looking at the stars. She hadn't said a single word or moved a single inch.

"You were injured in my Labyrinth."

"Do you do that for everyone who gets hurt?" She still hadn't turned to look at him.

"Not hardly." He had waited for this for years. He hadn't known she would be back, of course. In fact, he had doubted he would ever see her outside of a crystal again. But she was back now, older and possibly more receptive, and he had the perfect opportunity to repeat his offers to her.

"Why me, then?" She still hadn't moved.

"Sarah," he began. He lost his nerve.

She finally turned to him. "Are you going to ask me to love you and do what you say and fear you?" It sounded almost sarcastic, but he wasn't quite sure.

"Love me, fear me, do as I say," Jareth mumbled in response. She was making him feel so helpless again.

"Is that what you wanted to say?"

"Yes."

"Maybe if you meant it," Sarah said, looking upwards again.

* * *

"What are we doing here?" Sarah asked.

Jareth hadn't spoken to her since their short exchange in the King's Forest. He had stood, offered a hand to help her up, and left the forest. They walked back to the castle and down more hallways than Sarah bothered to count. She had been surprised at where they ended up—she hadn't speculated on where it was located, besides her dreams, but she never would have thought it was in the castle.

The ballroom looked different when empty. Sarah preferred it that way.

_There's such a sad love, deep in your eyes, a kind of pale jewel…._

It was like she remembered. His voice, but his mouth didn't move to form the lyrics.

"I'm not wearing a dress," she pointed out as he moved closer—but it didn't matter.


	13. Life Can Be Easy

Epilogue: Life Can Be Easy

Lydia's mother shook her awake the next morning, informing her that her breakfast was waiting on the table.

Carson looked shocked to see his little sister, looking no different than the last time he had seen her, save for some unexplainable smudges on her nightgown. His family didn't seem to notice when he left the kitchen moments later and grabbed the phone in the living room. He dialed Sarah's number, knowing the only person in her household that was likely to be asleep at nine AM was Toby.

Nobody answered.

Dreading going back to his parents, who would undoubtedly at some point or another ask when Sarah left last night or something to that effect, Carson went to his bedroom. He stared at the small pile of pearlescent grey buttons in the wastebasket by his desk. They were real—he could even reach down and touch them if he wanted to. So last night had really happened—Sarah and her family had just gone somewhere. _Maybe they took a vacation_, hid mind lamely suggested.

Lydia stood on the other side of Carson's bedroom door, wondering if she should knock or not. She also had questions, and he was the only person around who might have answers.

Just as Lydia raised her fist, the door swung inward.

"What do you want?"

"Um, have you talked to Sarah?" Lydia asked. She could see from her older brother's expression that something was amiss, but she couldn't quite tell what.

"What do you know?" He jerked her into his room and shut the door. Quickly, she told him the whole story.

* * *

Sarah and Jareth lay once more on the grass near the stream, breathing heavily.

"Am I a Goblin Queen?" Sarah asked with a soft laugh.

"You will be once you marry me."

"When will I do that?"

"As soon as you take that offer seriously."

"What about my family?" Sarah had run the Labyrinth once to save Toby—did she run it this time to leave him?

"We will see them shortly. You will introduce me as you fiancée. We will be married Aboveground, then we will come live in my castle."

* * *

Carson didn't trust Lydia. He believed some of it, but not all. Goblins seemed a little unlikely. But he had to accept that she was right—Sarah was still with the Goblin King. Which meant her family was probably out looking for her. _As long as Sarah can keep her mouth shut about last night…. _In truth, he didn't care if he saw her again. He just didn't want her talking about what he was going to do to her. Sarah was easily scared—he would just threaten her later, if he saw her again and then there would be no cause for worry.

Lydia had left his room after seeing the look on his face. She knew he didn't believe her, and she also knew it didn't matter to him where Sarah was. She just didn't know why.

She went to her bedroom and changed out of her filthy pajamas. She sat the floor and reached for the books Sarah had brought her to read. She looked over their titles.

_Labyrinth._

_Author's Notes: This is the end of the story, I am sorry to say. :( I was forcing myself with it, so I'm definitely not happy with ninety percent of what you find past chapter three. The romance between Jareth and Sarah is implied, and the ending with Lydia is being left open because I am planning a sequel. Not soon, but eventually. I got hit with another idea a few days ago and I'm working on that one now. To ensure better quality, I won't be sharing it until it's a bit farther along. I seem to feel like I have to update often, thus leading to the 'forced' quality of this story. So, I hope you liked it. And if you didn't, I hope you'll give my future stories a chance anyway. :)_


End file.
